The Dick Cavett Show: The John Lennon And Yoko Ono Collection

Every purchase you make through these Amazon links supports DVD Verdict's reviewing efforts. Thank you!

All Rise...

Judge Dennis Prince isn't practicing "bagism"—he just has trouble sometimes getting his head through the neckline of his judge's robe.

The Charge

"Ya don't get the Lennons on your show and, um, probably out-rate the
other shows that night, then cut their damn song!"—Dick Cavett

The Case

Surely, it wasn't easy being John. Arguably, there never was a public figure
so supremely celebrated yet so ardently pursued and personally attacked as John
Lennon. Following the breakup of The Beatles in 1970, the four former bandmates
struck out on their own (although Paul McCartney had previously released his own
self-titled LP, often cited as the catalyst for the "official"
dissolution of the band). Each free to explore life and music in their own way,
unhampered by the trappings of erstwhile Beatlemania and the unreasonable public
expectations that accompanied it, the former Fab Four were now four individual
creative forces who struck out to find themselves and discover their true
passions in life.

Elsewhere, Dick Cavett had found his own niche in the late-night living
rooms of America, his talk show airing weeknights at 11:30 PM. While some may
like to compare him to the celebrity-agog mouthpieces of the day like Mike
Douglas or Merv Griffin, Cavett seemed genuinely unassuming and sometimes even
unimpressed with the "star quality" of those seated alongside him.
While he was quick-witted and sometimes even a bit smarmy, he never seemed
inclined to ambush or otherwise attack his guests. Instead, he maintained a
low-key demeanor and, subsequently, was able to relax his guests into speaking
freely and openly, resulting in some truly excellent talk show moments. During
the three-year run of his show (1969—1972), Cavett hosted the likes of
World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer, actor John Wayne, omnipresent Orson Welles,
and former swift boat shipmates, John O'Neill and John Kerry. Cavett was
accustomed to chatting with folks of all professions and of all accomplishments
but found it practically unbelievable that he would soon be hosting John Lennon
and Yoko Ono.

The initial show was taped on September 8, 1971. The show actually
"over-taped" in that, as the Lennons and Cavett became increasingly
comfortable with one another and the audience enjoyed the candidness up on
stage, all decided to keep chatting while the cameras rolled on. The usual
60-minute taping ran well over time and the bulk of the content was broadcast on
September 11, 1971, comprising 90 minutes of the encounter. Additional material
was broadcast two weeks later on September 24.

On Disc One of this set, you'll find the 9/11/71 broadcast. Lennon, who had
frequently described himself as a shy person, does appear initially nervous and
utilizes his trademark "cheekiness" to mask his anxiety in this, his
first televised appearance since the breakup of The Beatles. Cavett, too, seems
a bit overwhelmed by the situation and, rather than avoid the on-stage
awkwardness, brings it into the open and ultimately smoothes out the rest of
what becomes a candid, quirky, and compelling conversation. Lennon explains that
the military jacket he wears was a gift, comments on Yoko's chain smoking habits
(the two light up cigarettes perpetually throughout the interview), and speaks
of his desire to not have gone on "…singing 'She Loves You' when I'm
50." Also included is the segment later seen in 1988's Imagine John Lennon biopic where the songwriter
confirms the origin of the song title, "Lucy In the Sky with
Diamonds," assuring no surreptitious intent to smuggle in the acronym
"L.S.D." (So what's not to believe?) The audience is offered a view of
clips from Yoko's avant-garde films, "Fly" and "Erection"
(not what you might expect, of course). Also, there are film clips of the
in-progress film, Imagine. In all, the program captures a fascinating
interview and additional content that's difficult to resist.

The September 24, 1971 show features a rather obnoxious Stan Freberg,
longtime voice actor and ad man, who spends his time complaining (comically?)
about how he had previously been "bumped" from an appearance because
of the Lennons. He also insists upon frequently interrupting the other in-studio
guest, Robert Citron, Director of the Smithsonian Institute of Short-Lived
Phenomena. The segments with Lennon and Yoko, culled from the 9/8/71 taping,
include Yoko's explanation of "bagism," the infamous "Week in
Bed," and a Q&A with the audience. Of particular note and curiosity,
during the Q&A segment a fellow seated in the upper deck, longhaired and
bearded and asking a question pertaining to peaceful vs. violent revolution,
shockingly resembles the vagrant who wandered Lennon's London estate believing
John was speaking directly to him through his songs. (The confrontation between
the two is captured in Imagine John Lennon). It has not yet been
confirmed whether this is actually the same fellow.

Disc Two of this set contains the third appearance of the Lennons on
Cavett's show (it was their second actual visit to the show but, given the extra
material aired on 9/24/71, ended up being a third televised appearance). On
March 11, 1972, the Lennons made good on their previous promise that they'd love
to return and perform live. The show's bill is, however, shared with Shirley
MacLaine who, at the moment, bears a striking resemblance to Susan Dey as The
Partridge Family's Laurie Partridge. (Was it reincarnation already in the
works or a chance doppelganger?) As the initial guest on the show, her brief
flirtatiousness with Cavett soon gives way to a discussion of Spiritismo and the
situations surrounding her work in The Possession of Joel Delany. Soon,
however, this all degenerates into a political stump for Democratic presidential
candidate George McGovern (she mocks ABC-TV's admonition to not state her
support explicitly yet she appears garnished with numerous campaign buttons).
Her most poignant statements take on an eerie sense of
hypocrisy—especially when viewed in three-decade hindsight—when she
states the everyday people of America are smarter than the media gives them
credit for and that their most important matter is that of wanting to be told
the truth ("…they want our President to tell them the truth, they want
our movies to tell them the truth…"). Interesting.

The MacLaine segment seems tedious overall, both the actress and Cavett
knowing the real draw of the show is the Lennons, waiting patiently backstage.
In retrospect, the exchange between Cavett and MacLaine becomes interesting as
it captures the political mood of the country leading up to the 1972
Presidential election of Nixon vs. McGovern. Finally, twenty-seven full minutes
into the program, John and Yoko are introduced to the welcoming studio audience.
The initial banter is classic Lennon (his love for malted-milks and adoration of
American television) soon gives way to a more somber tone as Lennon all but
pleads to remain stateside pending his potential deportation. Yoko in turn
utilizes the time to rally for the return of her daughter, Kyoko, who had been
illegally spirited away by the avant-garde artist's ex-husband and may be
forever lost to her should the couple be forced to leave the country. The
highlight of the appearance is the live performance of the purportedly
controversial song, "Woman is the Nigger of the World," as had
appeared on the recent album, Sometime in New York City. ABC deemed it as
"not the most desirable selection," even for Cavett's late-night
viewers. (In today's world, it would be a powder keg leading to riots.) Fearing
backlash, the network agreed to air the performance provided Cavett tape an
insert message warning of the potential for offense. That done, the performance
was aired in which Lennon, accompanied by the Elephant's Memory band, belts out
an anthem decrying the unjust treatment of women in modern society. To wit:

We make her paint her face and dance. If she won't be a slave we
say that she don't love. If she's real we say she's tryin' to be a man. While putting her down we try so hard to pretend that she's above us.

Woman is the nigger of the world. Yes she is! If you don't believe
me take a look at the one you're with. Woman is the slave of the slave. Ah, yeah. Ya better scream about it.

We make her bear and raise our children, And then we leave her flat
for being a fat old mother hen. We tell her home is the only place she
should be, Then we complain that she's too unworthy to be our
friend.

We insult her every day on TV, And wonder why she has no guts or
confidence. When she's young we kill her will to be free, While
telling her not to be so smart we put her down for being so dumb.

While the song's unmistakable message was lauded by many—including
then-chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Ron Dellums (D-CA)—it was
still misrepresented by some as an affront to a culture. Pity. It's an absolute
treasure to have this live performance on DVD as Lennon and his band perform the
number with precision and commitment. Cavett later indicated that the only
backlash experienced from the airing of the song was a number of complaints
"about the mealy-mouthed message [the network] made [me] say before the
song and none about the song itself." Later in the broadcast, Yoko
takes the microphone to perform another album cut, "We're All Water."
Despite the overlong wait for the Lennons' appearance, it winds up a rousing and
memorable television event.

Overall, the content here is as compelling today as it likely was in 1971
and 1972 and is certainly historically significant. Thankfully, the folks at
Shout! Factory have delivered another excellent release, recognizing the appeal
and importance of these three shows. Each is presented here in its original
full-frame broadcast format and complete from start to finish, minus the
commercial breaks. The image quality is understandably soft given the original
large-format videotape source yet is nonetheless quite detailed and brimming
with color. The audio is presented in a very clean Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono mix.
Each episode is preceded by a current introduction by the
aged-yet-no-less-adroit Cavett, his clever wit and soothing style none the worse
for wear. A bonus on this two-disc set is an extended 2005 interview with
Cavett, "Cavett and the Lennons," in which the host further reminisces
and ruminates over the experience of hosting John and Yoko. The most unique
feature of this set is the option to view the taped interview from 9/8/71
complete and as originally taped rather than watch it in the two show formats.
Very cool.

As December 2005 marks the 25th anniversary of Lennon's senseless murder,
it's good to see a title like this reach the DVD market. Whether you're a Lennon
fan, a Beatlemaniac, or you appreciate vintage 70s material, complete with the
earmarks and attitudes of the day, this disc deserves a place in your home
library.

Case dismissed.

Give us your feedback!

Did we give The Dick Cavett Show: The John Lennon And Yoko Ono Collection a fair trial? yes / no

What's "fair"? Whether positive or negative, our reviews should be unbiased, informative, and critique the material on its own merits.